BWM launches new consumer/social PR agency called Pop

Independent communications group BWM is to launch a new consumer focused social public relations agency called Pop, Mumbrella can reveal.

The agency, which launches today, is to be headed by Ashley Douglas and will start with a team of eight. “The way we are defining ourselves is social, PR and brand activation,” Douglas told Mumbrella.

“The reason BWM wants to focus on consumer is that we have traditionally had Cox Inall Communications which was consumer and corporate (public relations) but there has been a real push in terms of client need for us to set up a consumer focused unit.”

Douglas said she did not believe the new agency would cannibalise business from Cox Inall or sister digital agency Sputnik.

“There will be no cannibalisation but there will be some interesting minds, that will start from a different point,” she said. “Sputnik are a really great digital technology and innovation agency and of course they do social because you can’t do digital without social. But in this day and age I don’t think you can do public relations without social either because of the consumer and because of the campaign.”

Pop will launch with clients including Veda, Sydney Fish Market, and Sharp Electronics, with offices in Melbourne and Sydney.

Douglas, who worked in the UK and the Netherlands on brands such as Nike, Coca-Cola, Wonderbra, said the agency would be looking to expand its client list.

“We are taking on clients who have worked with Cox Inall consumer and these will be part of the Pop portfolio but with the different experiences I have we will be going for some other clients as well so we will build our own base, but we will also be working across clients who sit within the group as well,” she said.

CEO of BWM Group Paul Williams said the new agency would offer a new speciality to the group.

“There are significant opportunities for an agency that can deliver campaigns based on sound strategic planning and consumer insights via contemporary social and earned channels,” said Williams, in a statement.

Nic Christensen is the media and technology editor of Mumbrella.
Within the Mumbrella team Nic's responsibilities include writing about media (mainly television, radio and outdoor), media agencies, ad technology and media policy. He is former media writer for The Australian and has also worked as a reporter for The Daily Telegraph and senior producer for Radio 2GB.